The Shikon Missions
by Natala
Summary: Kagome is pulled back into the world of demons as demons begin to escape Makai and rumors of the fully formed Shikon no Tama reach the ears of the Rekai. The Spirit Detectives are called back onto the job to keep the peace.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: The main pairing is pretty simple, you'll probably know it by the end of the chapter I'm sure. Probably by the time they mention their names you'll know it. There is also another pairing, but that one is going to be a surprise. They're both crossover pairings though.  
  
  
Timeline/Spoilers/Explanation: Basically, this is after Yu Yu Hakusho is over. A few things go a bit Au at the end, and if you know what happens in the end you'll probably be able to pick them out. Mainly the Yusuke and Keiko stuff doesn't happen. In other words, this is after Yusuke's demon blood is awakened, which is why I usually refer to him as a demon. Once in awhile I will refer to him as majin, which is basically a human who was transformed into a demon by his demon ancestor (in Yusuke's case Raizen) but still has his human spiritual powers. Because, despite rumors, Yusuke is not a half-demon. Raizen had a human mate over a thousand years ago. Yusuke is his descendant. For more info, there are a few good sites out there. Try 'Yuu Yuu Hakusho Realms' for the full explanation on a majin.  
  
For Inuyasha, not many spoilers, as they won't be mentioned once. Kohaku and Rin may be mentioned again past this chapter. But that will be for a specific reason. *grins*  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.  
  
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The Shikon Missions  


  
Chapter 1 - Treacherous memories  
  
The pebble clattered against the ground angrily for a moment, only to be kicked again by a worn shoe. The pebble struck a tree, ricocheting off and disappearing into the undergrowth. The young man who had been kicking the pebble scowled, finding another pebble on the forest floor. Picking up where he left off, he began kicking the new pebble, the movement quickly becoming mechanical as the young man lost himself in his thoughts.  
  
He was jerked out of his thoughts when his head was an inch from a tree branch. He stumbled backwards, usually slicked back black hair falling into his eyes before he began cursing the tree. At the same time, what sounded oddly like a female giggle sounded through the shadowed forest. He turned in surprise, obviously he had been more lost in his thoughts than he should have been if he hadn't sensed someone coming up behind him.  
  
His brown eyes met sapphire blue. The laugh that she had sounded from her was already fading from her eyes, though her face tried to keep up the amused facade. Long black hair framed her face as she met his glare with only another giggle, though he could see the flashes of suppressed pain in her eyes. He ignored in order to salvage his own pride.  
  
"What are you laughing at?" he made his glare fiercer, and if anything the amusement flashed back into her eyes as she studied him in return. Finally her eyes returned to his face and she shifted slightly, a slight frown on her face as she studied the look in his eyes. He looked away, glaring at a far off tree.  
  
"I've never seen a demon almost walk into a tree, that's all," she said, shocking him out of his mind. He let his sense try and read her, and jerked back in surprise when he found it masked, but the energy was pure. Not pure as in pure energy, but pure as in the opposite of corrupt. Every demon had darkness in their power, and the few humans who had been able to access theirs usually did to.  
  
"What are you?" he asked, what sounded oddly like a growl starting in his chest. He squashed it, settling on glaring at her instead. She seemed surprised, and if he wasn't mistaken, a bit pleased.  
  
"You don't know? What kind of demon are you? Never mind, it's better that you don't anything about me or I about you. I'll be going on my way now." She began walking, and Yusuke's eyes narrowed. He'd asked a question, and he wanted an answer! He fell into step behind her.  
  
"What reason would I have to know? All you did was come up and laugh at me. You seem human, but your energy...it feels...pure." He took an unconscious step back as she whirled around, more emotions than he had ever seen anyone showing, human or demon, were showing on her face. Anger, sorrow, pain, and others. Pain was the one overriding the others, and he flinched from the look in her eyes. Apparently she knew how much she was showing, because she winced a second later.  
  
"It is pure. Just... Please leave it alone? Besides, don't you have somewhere else to be?" He winced inwardly but managed to shrug nonchalantly.  
  
"Actually, not really. I have my home and my job. At the moment, I have no pressing business." She sighed at the answer and moved toward a clearing radiating the same pure energy as he sensed around her. He frowned, eyeing the clearing with speculation clear in his chocolate brown eyes. Finally he once again fell into step behind her, not even shuddering when he stepped into the clearing at the energy crackled slightly around him. Oddly enough, it didn't hurt him.  
  
The grass and trees seemed livelier than outside the clearing, but despite the beautiful setting, the contents of the clearing made the air seem to sing with sorrow and foreboding. In the middle of the clearing, with a cherry tree growing on each side, were two headstones. The woman he had been following kneeled down in between them, touching first one, then the other. Her body began to shake and he could see tiny droplets of moisture sliding down her cheeks to fall onto the graves themselves.  
  
He walked over, being careful each step in case the power she held inside decided he would be a good way to get rid of her stress. He looked down at each grave, and was puzzled to find there were no dates on them. "How'd they die?"  
  
"Demon," she answered in a shaky voice. He grimaced, that explained how she knew so about demons, if two of the people she obviously loved, if the tears were any indication, had been killed by a demon. He was surprised she hadn't struck out at him just for being what he was. He shifted awkwardly, waiting as she slowly began to stop shaking, though sobs still wracked through her small form.  
  
"How long?" the human turned demon named Yusuke asked.  
  
"A month? A bit more. I'm not s-sure." He ignored the stutter in her voice, and instead suddenly decided to introduce himself.  
  
"I'm Yusuke Urameshi."  
  
"Why are you introducing yourself?' he resisted rolling his eyes at her suspicious voice, instead smirking to himself.  
  
"Why not?" he challenged.  
  
"I just started talking to you a few minutes ago. Why should I introduce myself to some random demon?" she asked, the suspicion and anger clear in her snapping voice. She lifted her head, glaring at him with angry sapphire eyes. She began to stand up, the rage clear in her form, though he suspected it wasn't truly directed towards him.  
  
He jumped up himself, practically growling as his temper grew to match her own. "Fine! I was just trying to help since you seemed to need something to distract you! Is it a crime to introduce yourself? No one ever mentioned that to me! Or are you just to good to talk to a stupid demon?"  
  
Yusuke didn't bother waiting for her shocked expression to fade and instead stuffed his hands into his packets and began stomping away. He was stopped by a feminine voice sounding behind him.  
  
"Kagome. My name is Kagome Higurashi," The woman said in a small, slightly ashamed voice.  
  
He would have took time to be shocked by her mood swings but was to busy grinning in triumph as he turned around and held out a hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet you Kagome."  
  
"You too." She took his hand, managing a smile, but after her little show, he knew she was faking. She knew it too.  
  
-~-  
  
Kagome had been looking for the two graves of her friends when she saw him. The land had changed in five hundred years, and she had gotten a little off track in looking for where she had put them. Fortunately, like the God Tree, the place she buried them held mystical energy, which she could track. Unlike the God Tree, this time it was her own.  
  
It had taken her all three weeks since coming home to work up the courage to go see the graves in this time. Finally she had to get up. Those two deserved to have their graves maintained and she had to make sure they were still there. She wanted to see if the cherry trees had survived. They had fought long and hard to destroy Naraku, and the cherry trees lived in place of they themselves. Inuyasha had worked just as hard, but there was no body as far as she knew. She had left before she could find out.  
  
When she had seen the black haired demon almost run into a tree, for an instant her bleak mood was forgotten and she had to laugh. She giggled actually, a sound her mother would have been overjoyed to hear.   
  
He had taken offense. She had found that amusing too, even if it quickly faded. Obviously he was a young demon, though it was hard to tell. She wasn't quite sure if demons were totally immortal, but they did seem to live a long time, and aged a lot slower after their childhood. Still, young or not, she couldn't understand why he didn't know she was a miko. Were miko's that rare that they were only legends now? She certainly wasn't going to enlighten him.  
  
When the graves had come into sight, Kagome certainly hadn't meant to break down. She'd thought she'd done all her crying in the feudal era when they died. She especially hadn't meant to break down in front of a strange demon. But she had, crying for those two simple names, and the name that wasn't on the headstones.  
  
_'Sango.'_ She cried for her friend whose family and life had been stolen from her. In the end, Sango had given her life protecting the newly liberated Kohaku. Though, Kohaku would have died without the shard, if not for Sesshoumaru. Then again, perhaps Rin should be the one with the credit for saving him.  
  
_'Miroku.' _She shook for the man who never got the chance to live free of his curse. He had bled to death, and Sesshoumaru refused to bring them back. Though Rin may have hated death, she wasn't attached to them like she had been to Kohaku. So she had buried them, and had been glad she had been able to call them her friends.  
  
It was the name that wasn't there that had broken her heart. He had made his wish and broken her heart. He had wished to become a full youkai and then went off to find Kikyou. She didn't wait for him to come back. When the rest of her soul joined her, she knew what he must have done. Kikyou had gone to hell, releasing the bits of her soul that she had. The unpure wish had kept the Shikon grounded to this plane of existence, keeping her guarding it. Kagome could feel at the edges what Kikyou must have felt. Unlike Kikyou, Kagome knew she didn't have to do it alone. She also knew she couldn't do it in the Warring States Period.  
  
The memories had flashed by her and she had broken out into sobs, ignoring the young demon's presence. She remembered golden eyes, for once showing love and trust in them. The golden eyes that had meant safety for Kagome. A quick smirk with one fang, angry eyes slashing at the enemies that had dared to hurt her. All of them and more flashed by her mind as she lay there, for an instant feeling like a broken and lonely child.  
  
Then he had begun asking questions and she felt herself coming out of it. No one besides her family had talked to her for three weeks. She found herself soaking in the unfamiliar voice. That didn't stop her from snapping at him when he introduced himself. Yet, his name had a familiar note to it that she decided to ignore. She remembered her friends saying it, and that was silly. Why would her friends know the name of a demon?  
  
Finally, Kagome had felt guilty when he snapped at her. Shame spread through her at his questions that hit too close to home. It reminded her oddly of when people scorned Inuyasha because he was a hanyou. She was doing something similar. She cursed inwardly for blaming a seemingly nice demon for what others had done to her. Everyone deserved to be judged only for his or her own actions. She had been expected to act like Kikyou, and had struggled to show the feudal villages she was not Kikyou. She knew how wrong it was for people to carry expectations.  
  
She had dried her eyes and pulled her anger back in. After all, it wasn't him she should be angry at, but others. Mainly Naraku for stealing her friends before they could kill him. Then she had introduced herself. "Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."  
  
She'd smiled at him, showing cheer that she didn't feel as they exchanged small pleasantries. They had walked from the clearing, a silent promise ringing in her head that she would be back. She was walking back towards the general direction of the shrine, he just walking beside her.  
  
"Why were you out here?" Kagome couldn't help but ask.  
  
"Thinking," Yusuke answered with a shrug of his shoulders. She rolled her eyes in exasperation, more out of habit than anything else.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"My job. What it cost to keep it," he said, annoyance showing in his voice, but Kagome read the underlying pain in his voice and let them walk in silence until he lifted one hand to glance at a watch on his wrist.  
  
"Damn. I'm late." She glanced at him, her mind connecting one thing to another as he swore at the time on his watch.  
  
"Your job then?"  
  
"Yeah."   
  
There was an awkward silence before Kagome spoke again. "You should go then, Yusuke."  
  
He looked startled by her using his name before quickly smirking at her. She almost gasped at the familiar expression on his face. Fortunately, it wasn't the one fanged smirk, so instead of crying she found herself smiling back as he spoke. "Yeah, I should. See you around Kagome."  
  
Kagome watched as he disappeared into the woods and Kagome found herself once again bothered by the familiarity of his name. She could not possibly have heard it in school, he was a demon!  
  
Her thoughts on his name were completely swept away when she stepped onto her family shrine. Kagome's sapphire eyes widened and she shook her head in disbelief. What she was seeing was impossible. She knew he had promised to find her again in her time. With tears in his forest green eyes he had promised her, the only one still true to her. She hadn't expected him to keep it. No one kept their promises.  
  
There in front of her door was a ruby colored fox. A multi-tailed, green eyed, ruby fox that lifted it's head and jumped towards her with a joyful bark that made him seem like the child she had known him as.  
  
~-~  
  
Yusuke was whisked off to Koenma's office the minute he stepped near the place he had been supposed to meet Botan. She appeared on her oar and after a brief and all too familiar feeling of disorientation Yusuke found himself in the Prince's office with two familiar faces besides Koenma's.  
  
"I guess Hiei decided not to come back from the Makai," Yusuke stated as he casually glanced around. The team wasn't complete without the silent and often times sardonic fire apparition. On the other hand, he was sure he, Kurama, and Kuwabara could handle whatever was going on.  
  
"You're late. And we need to start. Hiei chose to keep out of this. He has no debt to pay to the Rekai anymore, so he won't be here. It doesn't matter at the moment. I'm sure you've all been informed, or witnessed first hand, the recent unrest of the demons in Makai. Especially after Enki became ruler, but he soon settled things for himself. Or," Koenma paused and sent a sympathetic glance towards Yusuke, showing he knew what had happened, "with a little help from some of the demons left over from the Makai tournament."  
  
"Yusuke had to deal with a wolf demon pack before he came back from that Makai that tried to make it through the barrier. They and their wolves would have wreaked havoc on the Ningenkai, but they didn't seem to care." Koenma paused as if expecting Yusuke to add in something. Yusuke simply shrugged and said nothing, an expression of angry bitterness appearing on his face.  
  
"Now, you'd think since these incidents were put down and no harm came off them, that there would be nothing to worry about. However, there is reason to believe that these were not simply rebel demons, and these new demons starting to test the barrier appear to either be fleeing, or to be after something. There are too many for us not to call in the Spirit Detectives. Especially since the rumors say whatever the new danger is, that it is in Ningenkai." Koenma stopped, searching their faces to see their reaction so far.  
  
"So you called those of us who were willing to help save the world from this new menace." The redheaded Kurama seemed puzzled why they didn't just get onto a mission and peered at the child ruler intently with his emerald green eyes.  
  
"Yes Kurama. On the other hand, my father was getting a bit upset about having demons on the team when they weren't paying a debt to the Rekai. I was forced to find a way to keep you on the team but at the same time have a way to control you. Kuwabara couldn't do this, so your first assignment will be to find the person who will be able to. No killing on this assignment as far as I know."  
  
Kuwabara opened his mouth, looking slightly insulted. Yusuke glared at him, a clear expression telling him to shut up as Botan began speaking. "The only thing - well, person actually- that King Enma would agree to would be to have a miko on the team. And because of your strength, he wanted it to be the strongest one we could find."  
  
Kurama seemed a bit hurt by this, Yusuke noticed. He agreed with the hurt sentiment. They had saved Ningenkai and kept demons away countless times. Anybody with a brain could see they could be trusted. Unfortunately, Yusuke was too puzzled to work up a good rant, and instead let his curiosity take over. "What's a miko?"  
  
Botan hesitated, looking towards Koenma with a questioning expression. Koenma shook his head, seeming a bit annoyed by the question. "Botan will explain on the mission. Now, because of the nature of mikos, they are a bit hard to find, and the strongest ones always slip through the cracks. Fortunately, there is a demon who over the five centuries he's been alive, has proven adept at finding the stronger mikos, even if he did get out of Makai illegally. Unfortunately, he has once again escaped to Ningenkai. Your mission is to find and have him lead you to the strongest miko he can find, who can be used in battle. You find him, you get to have your jobs back. You don't, we'll have to try and find another way."  
  
As they left, Koenma leaned back in his chair, looking oddly pensive for a baby.  
  
"They'd better find that fox. We need all the help we can get."  
  
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Review now; ask any questions you have. Hopefully I'll get a couple more chapters out before Christmas vacation ends, but I have two other stories too.


	2. Chapter 2

  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.  
  
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Chapter 2 - Meetings  
  
Kagome could feel the hot rush of tears in her eyes once again, the moist droplets rolling down her cheeks. Unlike at the graves, these were not tears of grief or anger. She was happy, happier than she thought she could have been so close to the time they'd died. It was impossible for her to not be happy when there was a now adult kitsune by her side spilling his own joyous tears.  
  
"I found you. I said I would."  
  
"I know kit. But how could I know you would remember? For me it has been a few weeks, for you five hundred years!" Kagome leaned back as she spoke, smiling her first true smile in the last few weeks. The kitsune grinned and stood up from where they had collapsed on the ground, taking her with him. Kagome tilted her head back a bit and studied him, noticing that he had grown a lot. He was taller than she was now.  
  
"I guess I can't cuddle with you anymore Shippo. You've grown quite a bit." Kagome's smile turned wistful and Shippo suddenly engulfed her in a hug, nuzzling into her hair.  
  
"Maybe I have Kagome. But we could still cuddle. Even if it would look weird to others. For three years of my young life you were willing to be my mother. No youkai would have taken me in, and certainly no other human would have taken in a demon child. I always felt safe when you were around, and uneasy when you were gone. After my original parents, you are the only one I ever called mother."  
  
For once it was she who snuggled into him, not caring that he had grown or it had been five hundred years for him. He was still her kit. There was a brief moment of silence as they took comfort in the familiar, yet at the same time unfamiliar, embrace. Finally Kagome stepped out of the kitsune's embrace, grinning for the first time in weeks.  
  
"So, it has been five hundred years. Did you make any little kits for me to spoil?"  
  
Shippo's mind briefly drew a blank before he turned as red as his hair. "Kagome! I... No! Well, there is a girl who I would if I could, but she pretty much hates me. So, no, no kits for you to spoil."  
  
Shippo continued blushing and Kagome smirked. Evidently five hundred years hadn't made him grow up too much. She frowned slightly. It should have. Perhaps he'd been busy. She shook her head and shrugged. "So, what have you done to occupy your time the last five hundred years?"  
  
"Most of the time trying to avoid Reikai authorities and sneaking out of Makai for a few years to visit whichever one of Rin and Kohaku's descendants was their then. I lost track of them three or four decades ago, a bit after I found your family. At first I thought they were going to be your ancestors, but, hey, I was wrong. I have a nice little den in one of the few peaceful parts of Makai; I have some illusions around it and some foxfire traps. Hey, I should show you later the - What's wrong?" Shippo looked at Kagome worriedly.  
  
Kagome's head was dizzy from a few things right now, but one question stood out in her mind. "What's the Makai?"  
  
"Oh! That! Exactly what it sounds like, a world of demons. Why the feudal era had so many demons is a long story that I'll tell you later, but now most of us live in the Makai unless the Reikai lets us live here or we make our own doorway in the barrier, like me. But then we're hunted down, punished, and returned to the Makai. I've gone through this a few times and the Reikai doesn't change its tune much, though I heard they got some Spirit Detectives that can actually last this time." Shippo stopped talking for a second, and Kagome took the time to absorb what he was saying. A whole separate realm for the demons. And a barrier keeping the demons from wreaking havoc on humans like they had in the feudal era. Then Kagome giggled, looking at the familiar impatient expression on his face.  
  
They were interrupted when a girl flying on an oar suddenly appeared over the treetops, her pink-eyed gaze falling on Shippo without acknowledging that Kagome was even there. From inside, Kagome heard her mother back away from the window in surprise. Kagome's eyes narrowed when she saw the others hostile gaze and she signaled to her mother to stay inside, and to keep away from the windows. The girl may have looked harmless, but that didn't mean she was.  
  
"The one time we actually need someone like you and you go gallivanting off through the barrier! Again! Now you're going to help the Spirit Detectives and - who's she?" Perhaps Kagome had a short temper, but she was getting ticked at being ignored by this...what ever she was. Not a human, but not a demon. What else was there? When the woman finally noticed her Kagome couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied. Of course, the tiny trickling of miko power she'd allowed to show probably had nothing to do with the other woman turning her gaze away from Shippo.  
  
Shippo breathed a sigh of relief when Botan's tirade broke off. He really hated it when she went off on a tangent. Forest green eyes lingered on her as he carefully explained Kagome. "She's Kagome. I came from the Makai to visit her, but she has nothing to do with this. Leave her alone Botan, you can't use her like you did some of the other ones."  
  
"She's a miko?" Botan sounded surprised, and a little pleased. Kagome's eyes narrowed at the tone and she backed up to where her bow was leaning against the house. She took the quiver full of arrows and the bow and took a few steps forward as they all sensed three more beings coming up the shrine steps. She had an arrow notched by the time two demons and a human had appeared over the edge of the steps. Kagome's eyes widened in recognition of one of the demons. So did the boy who had just appeared over the steps, Yusuke.  
  
"Hello again." She smirked as he eyed her bow warily.  
  
"You know, we can dodge a little arrow. Besides, we're just here for the fox over there. Can you put down the weapon Kagome?" Kagome snorted at the reasonable tone in his voice. Like she couldn't read the frustration in his voice. She eyed his two friends briefly, seeing that the green eyed one who felt like both kitsune and human was looking between her and Yusuke questioningly. She put her attention back onto Yusuke and gave him a wide innocent smile before shaking her head.  
  
"Nah. See, I don't think you should take 'the fox' anywhere." To answer his question if she could use the bow she pulled the bowstring back and let it fly, aiming carefully beside his foot. He didn't even flinch when it landed. Until the flare of miko energy swept out before disappearing.  
  
"Shit! What the hell was that?" Kagome kept her eyes trained on Yusuke's new position, where he had jumped to while swearing. She ignored the gasp that came from the kitsune yet human man, but her attention quickly snapped back at his next words.  
  
"That, Yusuke, was miko energy. I believe this mission can be said to be almost over. We have found the fox, and we have found our miko."  
  
A barking growl sounded, almost identical to a regular fox as Shippo bared his fangs at the other kitsune. "She's not your anything! Go away! She doesn't need to be hunted by any of you damn Spirit Detectives!"  
  
"Shippo, I can defend myself. Spirit Detectives, huh? Before today, I'd never heard of you." She paused, her gaze becoming cold as the wording went through her mind again. How dare they. She was not property; no one called her theirs unless she wanted them to! "What do you want with me?"  
  
"We need a miko on the team so we can save go on missions. These missions frequently have us saving Ningenkai and the other two worlds as well. Please, help us." The emerald eyed Spirit Detective looked straight into her sapphire blue ones, apparently trying to turn on ever charm he could to get her to join with just a few sentences.  
  
Kagome could see Yusuke, who had gathered up the scattered scraps of his pride, roll his eyes at his team mates attempt to charm her. Despite herself she flashed him a quick grin and found her self pleased when he smirked back at her. She didn't have time to be shocked at her own reaction because the orange haired human was looking between them and it finally seemed to click that Yusuke had used her name earlier. "You know her, Urameshi?"  
  
  
Kagome cleared her throat to stem off the possible argument that would come from the pointless question. She ignored the other two in favor of the red head who seemed a bit put out that she hadn't caved in immediately after a few words and a pleading look. "No thanks. Let them save themselves. I'm sure the people in the three worlds could if they really tried."  
  
Kagome winced when out of the corner of her eyes she caught Shippo's stunned expression. She was relieved when his eyes moved to the chain around her neck and a look of realization came over his face. She nodded slowly at him. She had saved Feudal Japan from being overtaken by Naraku, or any demon that wanted the jewel, and kept the timeline intact. That was enough for her.  
  
Unfortunately, Yusuke understood none of this and he was moving towards her before she realized it. He kept moving even when she notched another arrow, pointedly ignoring the threat as his angry brown eyes looked into hers. "How can you not care? You live in this world to!"  
  
Kagome stared at him, wondering how she was supposed to explain that she had gone through enough pain when she'd saved the timeline and the world. She didn't want to go through it again, make more friends that she would eventually lose or who would betray her. She wouldn't go through that again. Behind her she heard Shippo and Botan arguing harshly about something, about what she couldn't be sure.  
  
She regarded Yusuke sadly. How could she explain anything without telling about the Shikon no Tama that rested on a necklace around her neck? She wasn't about to tell any demon about it, even one she instinctively felt she could trust. Not after the trouble it had caused. Before she could open her mouth to tell them to leave or she'd shoot them, that blue haired girl, Botan, spoke.  
  
"You know, if you join us we can lessen Shippo's punishment. We could even let him stay in Ningenkai!" Botan smiled pleasantly, sure Kagome would at least consider it now.  
  
Kagome looked towards Shippo and found the tailed kitsune avoiding her eyes with a forlorn look on his face. Her heart almost broke at that look; it was that same expression, just on an older face. Was the punishment that bad? If it was for the only one who had stayed with her after the Jewel was completed, the only one of her feudal family left, she would risk anything.  
  
Yusuke apparently thought she was taking too long. "Damn it, you don't care about anything, do you? Those two people died and you just don't care now? There are other people who-"  
  
"Alright." Kagome quietly interrupted Yusuke, putting away his comment on the graves for the moment. She would confront him about what right he had to say anything about her later. Botan heard her quiet answer and smiled triumphantly and Shippo's eyes flashed with a hidden emotion before eyeing Botan and the three Spirit Detectives. "So, who are you? I know Botan and I heard Kagome call you," he indicated the black haired Spirit Detective, "Yusuke. What about you two?"  
  
"I'm Kurama," the human-looking kitsune stated.   
  
The only human of the boys still seemed to want to know how Kagome and Yusuke seemed to know each other. Finally he shrugged and answered the question. "Kazuma Kuwabara."  
  
"Everyone just calls him Kuwabara," Yusuke commented, brown eyes still brimming with anger over her earlier words. Kagome sighed and reconciled herself with the fact that she was probably going to be helping save the world for a long time to come. Despite the painful memories, she strangely felt better with this new 'job'.  
  
~-~  
  
When the three boys and Botan had left Koenma's office, the boys had immediately started interrogating Botan about the demon they were looking for.  
  
"He's a kitsune demon who seems to escape at least three times each century. At least, three times that we catch him." Botan answered, her expression souring slightly on the last part.  
  
Kurama looked up at where Botan was floating in the air, suddenly interested. "A kitsune? What kind? How strong?"  
  
Botan seemed to think for a moment then answered thoughtfully. "He's ruby colored in fox form, though he has some golden hairs that seem to spread out more as he gets older. He told me his father was totally golden. He proved it when he showed me his father's coat that he had managed to save. Is their significance to that?"  
  
Kurama's eyes seemed to glow slightly. "Really? A ruby with a partly gold coat? He has illusions and fire then, right? Blue fire? If I remember correctly there are a numbers of ways they can use foxfire when they get older. There was much bickering about which was better, the illusions and fire or the plants. The illusions were common, but the fire seemed to be thinning out. Only the rubies with golden coats, or partly golden coats had it."  
  
Kuwabara stopped Kurama's excitement at seeing another kitsune by looking up at Botan with a confused and slightly horrified expression. "He had his father's coat? He didn't... _kill _him did he?"  
  
"No, two Thunder elementals killed his parents because they had something the demons wanted. That was in the Warring States Period, no one had any alliances with anyone usually, if they did they were easily broken off. Demons were against each other, against humans, the whole thing was just chaotic. Miko's did keep the peace in the villages they protected, at least against demons, but -" Yusuke stopped Botan's history lesson with a questions.  
  
"Stop, let's get onto a topic we might need to know about, since we're apparently searching for one. Miko's?" Yusuke waited patiently, or as patiently as Yusuke could while still being himself, as Botan switched gears.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry. Neither of you know about them do you?" She watched Yusuke and Kuwabara nod their heads and then smiled, clapping her hands together.  
  
"Well, that's easily fixed. Miko's have purifying powers. Or I should say, girls who have purifying powers become mikos. Usually boys with miko powers become monks or priests, or some other type. Miko's seemed to have the more purifying power, or perhaps they were just more unusual. Anyway, powers differed from one miko to another, but a strong and properly trained miko was a demon's worst enemy. Hopefully we find a nice one who doesn't blast you and Kurama on sight Yusuke." Botan kept smiling, apparently oblivious to Yusuke gaping at her. Kurama sighed and got ready for an explosion.  
  
"**What? **You're putting someone who has powers specifically centered on destroying demons on the team with us? We won't be able to go on missions if we're dead! Damnit, let me go back and knock some sense into the toddler!" Yusuke looked as if he was ready to go storming off and try to find a portal of her own. Botan's smile turned sad at she looked down at the irate majin.  
  
"You won't be doing missions without a miko either," she reminded him softly. He stopped in his angry movements and grimaced, fighting to control his temper at the situation he'd been put in.   
  
Botan's look turned far away before she suddenly grinned and crowed with delight. "Found him! I've had to find him so many times before it just gets easier! He's at the Higurashi shrine! I'll go up ahead and make sure he stays there, you three catch up, the stairs to them aren't too far from here! You can't miss them!"  
  
She missed the surprised look on Yusuke's face when she disappeared from view. Yusuke continued looking shocked for a moment before hiding his expression. That girl's last name had been Higurashi.  
  
"Higurashi shrine? Isn't that the last name of that girl who used to go to the school nearby here and was always getting sick? There were always rumors about that around." Kuwabara looked between them to see if the other two had recognized the name. Yusuke just shrugged while Kurama gave a slow and thoughtful nod.  
  
"I believe it is. Shall we go?" Nothing more was said as the three boys arrived at the shrine shortly after Botan had disappeared. Yusuke began walking up the stairs, hearing the other two following close behind. He frowned as he neared the top, he could have sworn he heard a string being stretched. He never expected to see Kagome pointing an arrow at him when he got to the top. He knew his own expression must have mirrored Kagome's wide eyed one and he was startled out of his surprise when she greeted him calmly with a smirk on her face. Was she protecting the kitsune? She could put the bow down anytime now, it wasn't like a little arrow couldn't be dodged or would really hurt them anyway.  
  
He was proved wrong when the arrow did in fact hurt him even though it hadn't touched him. He listened to the explanation after forcing himself not to try and rip that bow out of her grasp. Apparently she really was protecting the fox demon. She'd protect that fox but not her own people, other humans? He ignored the arrow pointed at his chest as he started shouting at her. None of it seemed to get through until Botan mentioned the kitsune's punishment. That was a laugh, Kurama and Hiei had stolen items straight out of Spirit World and their punishment was helping him. He had a feeling the kitsune's 'punishment' would be similar.  
  
He hadn't even thought the threat to the kitsune had gotten through to her until she had interrupted the beginnings of an angry rant with her quiet agreement. He stopped immediately and eyed her suspiciously as the two others introduced themselves to the kitsune and miko duo.  
  
"Everyone calls him Kuwabara," he noted absently while still studying Kagome.  
  
"So, the reason your energy felt strange in the forest is because you're a miko." Yusuke finally said, relaxing slightly as she waited.  
  
Now it was her turn to eye him suspiciously. "So, what exactly is a Spirit Detective?"  
  
Yusuke gaped at her. He had forgotten she'd said she hadn't heard of them before today. "You just said you'd join with us without knowing anything about it? Can you even fight? And I don't mean just shoot your pretty little pink arrows either."  
  
Yusuke realized that had been a terrible question to as when her eyes smoldered angrily and her gaze went pointedly to her arrow still pointed to his chest. He heard a suspicious giggle from Botan before he decided just to answer Kagome's question. "A Spirit Detective is someone who works for the Reikai to keep the peace between the Makai and Ningenkai. Right now things seem to be heating up a bit again."  
  
"Because of certain circumstances we needed a miko to help us out," Kurama explained, careful not to say exactly what the circumstances were. It wouldn't do to tell them that they weren't even trusted by Enma even after all they'd done.  
  
"And Shippo's punishment can be to serve Reikai in the capacity of another Spirit Detective! Won't that be fun?" Yusuke groaned as Botan said those words. Could she have been more predictable? Yusuke's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Kagome seemed relieved and Shippo and Botan exchanged smug grins. They had planned this! That was what they'd been arguing about while He'd been yelling at Kagome. But, he had to wonder why the kitsune had agreed to it.   
  
"Yeah, but you better stay off the battlefield girl, you can use your arrows from far away, right? I couldn't let a girl get hurt," Kuwabara said seriously. Yusuke could've sworn she'd growled at that point and Shippo winced for unknown reasons.  
  
"Are you calling me weak?" Kuwabara didn't seem to notice the dangerous tone and continued on happily. "Girls shouldn't fight, they get hurt too easily. I don't see how they expect you to keep demons in line."  
  
Both Kurama and Yusuke shot Kuwabara a glare as Kagome stopped looking so angry and started studying them with something akin to amusement in her eyes, "Keep demons in line? Is that why you specifically need a miko?"  
  
Yusuke scowled as she and the kitsune exchanged amused glances. "At least there's nothing to collect this time and if we're lucky there will be compensation of some kind," Shippo said with a grin.  
  
Yusuke eyed them with suspicion as they grinned with each other, apparently caught up in some kind of exchange. Finally Shippo spoke again, the amusement dancing in his eyes. "At least you weren't kidnapped this time."  
  
"No, but you almost were," Kagome joked.  
  
"I could have gotten away," Shippo whined with a pout.  
  
Yusuke couldn't help but notice that even though they both seemed to know exactly what the other was talking about, they made sure no one else did. It was annoying the hell out of him.  
  
You know, why don't I go just go tell Koenma about our newest members while you all get to know each other and start telling her about the job. Kagome you said your name was?" Botan looked at the raven-haired girl questioningly. Kagome smirked and Yusuke went back into cautionary mode.  
  
"Actually, originally Yusuke said it, but yes, I'm Kagome Higurashi." Yusuke glared at her as Botan frowned at him, obviously wanting to ask more questions. After a brief internal struggle that showed plainly on her face she flew off to Koenma. Now Yusuke was left with an amused miko and three curious boys.  
  
"I met her while walking in the woods earlier today, ok?" He glared at his male teammates and then glared at Kagome.  
  
Kagome began to giggle and Yusuke almost gasped at the sound. He heard Kurama behind him actually gasp in surprise. While her laughs and chuckles and smirks had been filled with amusement, her giggling changed her whole demeanor. She didn't look like a miko who had lost at least two people that Yusuke knew of. She looked like a normal, and even innocent, young woman.  
  
Was it just him or had the tailed kitsune just yipped? Yusuke watched as Shippo grinned at her suddenly, eyes twinkling. "Ramen or oden?"   
  
Kagome stopped giggling and even seemed to flinch slightly at the word 'ramen' and then looked slightly confused. She seemed to realize something and studied the boys with a calculating look in her eyes. Yusuke watched her in confusion. How did she go from seeming about to kill them to now putting down her bow and looking so... normal?  
  
"Ramen. They don't look like oden people unfortunately." Kagome seemed to pout a bit at her own answer before turning to them and grinning.  
  
"Well, come on in, Mama wanted to go shopping anyway, I'll just ask her to take Souta and Grandpa along so that you can tell me about my new job privately. She'll understand, she always does. If they stayed you'd probably never get a word in edge wise with Souta asking questions." There was an outraged and muffled yell from inside the house that Kagome ignored as she opened the door.  
  
"Come in." The boys began to obey before they even realized they were moving. Yusuke stopped and glared at the blue-eyed miko. She grinned at him.  
  
"Someone's sour. I'm not going to poison you. Purifying is much more fun." Kagome smiled wickedly and Yusuke couldn't help but have a feeling of foreboding. He exchanged a glance with Kurama and both of them shuddered.  
  
Being purified didn't sound fun to them.  
  
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Review and ask any questions you have. If you already reviewed read below for my response to whatever you said.  
  
Review Responses:  
  
rogue solus   
What fox that Kurama tried to save? I'm confused. And yes, this is going to be Kag/Yus, as well as a Botan pairing. As for Sango, she is staying dead as far as I know, but there's still a chance that Kurama will have a pairing, just not with someone from IY, and no, not Botan either.  
  
Angsty Goten Worshipper   
Yes, Inuyasha will be in this, though it won't be in more than memories for awhile. And people may not like him when he does come in.  
  
Reality   
Yes, over the centuries Shippo has gone out and found mikos, mostly because he was trying to see if Kagome's family would come from one of them.  
  
Sozoku   
Thanks. Here's some more reading for you.  
  
wayfarer-redemption   
Thank you, I updated as quickly as I could with two other stories mucking about in my head plus a little gift fic to a friend that I wrote during Christmas vacation. Sorry for taking a bit longer than I should have,  
  
lady sakura   
Thank you! Here's some more.  
  
SilverKnight7   
Here you go! Please review again!  
  
CrimsonBlades16   
Yup! Shippo's here! Though I did notice his tail is more gold than red so I made an explanation for that considering his father's coat was gold. And yeah, it's Yus/Kag as well as having a Botan pairing and maybe a Kurama one. I should probably just admit defeat and say that there will be a certain Kurama pairing, because one certain person has gotten me addicted to a pairing with him in it. So the juries still out on Kurama having a pairing. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Buffybot76   
Thankies! And look, I did the second chapter too. This is much easier than the other stories because I actually thought about it before I wrote it. What a concept that thinking. Maybe I should do it more often. Of course you know the pairing. I know most of yours for your stories; it's only fair that you know mine.  



	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Shikon Missions  
Chapter: 3  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.  
Author's Notes: So...This chapter took a bit long. And it's a bit shorter than I wanted. But hey, hopefully this means I won't be blocked on this anymore and there will be another chapter soon!  
  
Chapter 3 - Butterflies  
  
Kagome leaned back on her chair as she watched the boys eat hungrily. She had declined eating for now, the prospect of working near demons again kept her mind occupied, and she doubted she could have forced herself to eat. She didn't eat much lately anyway.  
  
Kagome understood why Shippo had wanted to invite them in. If anything relaxed people, it was a good hot meal, and it was easier to attempt to read people when their guard was down. What she didn't understand was Shippo. He was still able to understand her with a glance, and she him. It was confusing, but utterly satisfying. Her son was home, even if she couldn't call him that in front of anyone else.  
  
"You know, you don't really look sick," Yusuke commented, and she looked up from her thoughts and found him gazing at her thoughtfully. She opened her mouth but closed it quickly as nothing came out. What could she say to that, that she had been running around in the past chasing after a mystical jewel that she had broken? Yeah right.   
  
So Kagome said the next best thing, sure to shut anyone up that had seen her when she'd been at the graves. "I had to stay away from school sometimes. It had to do with the people who died." Kagome spoke quietly, trying to deny the tears glimmering at the edge of her eyes their right to fall.  
  
"What peo- Ouch! Urameshi, what was that for?" she heard Kuwabara say sullenly. She brushed her tears away quickly and watched in surprise and found Kuwabara holding one foot and hopping round glaring at Yusuke. Kurama was hiding a smile, but his eyes kept flickering between her and Yusuke curiously. Yusuke ignored them all and focused wholly on his ramen. He glanced up once and quickly looked away when he saw her watching. Shippo watched them both and Kagome noted a new look in his adult eyes. Mischief had always been a constant expression, but never that calculated look. Shippo's mischief had always been short term. If it became long term, she was sure things were going to become interesting.  
  
Kagome leaned back from the table, bowing her head to hide the tears that still stayed in her eyes. She closed her eyes and took a few breaths, willing the memories to go back to where they belonged. The memories receded and she looked up with a bright smile that she had used countless time in the Feudal Era so that the others would think she was all right. "So, what kinds of things do you do at this job? Any good stories?"  
  
She was immediately bombarded with Kuwabara's versions of the stories that mainly made it out that he had defeated everything. Kurama toned it down to as close as he could get to what really happened. When Kuwabara got to Yukina, the stories stopped coming and turned into how many adjectives Kuwabara could use to describe Yukina's beauty. Kagome raised and eyebrow but ended up giggling anyway at the dreamy look he had on his face.  
  
"I guess he really loves that girl," she said, but the word 'love' brought to many memories she didn't want to see. She caught Shippo's concerned gaze and sent him a smile.   
  
"The loves mostly one-sided though. Yukina doesn't seem to even realize what he wants." Yusuke snickered but only Shippo noticed Kagome's flinch as she began to collect their dishes.  
  
"Hey, why don't you three go wait in the living room while I help Kagome?" Shippo's said it as a question, but the look in his eyes sent Kuwabara and Kurama out quickly. Yusuke's eye narrowed at the kitsune. He didn't like being ordered around. Shippo shrugged and went to collect dishes, leaving Yusuke there glaring at nothing. The majin scowled but left the room.  
  
"You all right Mama?" Shippo asked quietly in concern when he was sure none of them were listening.  
  
Kagome nodded in response, sighing slightly. "Yes. I'm just sensitive to some things. He...well, you know, he went with her. Too many things remind me now. And being around demons again... I'll be all right, the memories just keep assaulting me at the oddest times."  
  
Shippo sighed, brushing a clawed hand through his hair before nodding. "All right, but tell me if anything gets too much for you. We'll be out of here and on a long vacation before you can say time travel if you do. You ready? Botan should be back soon."  
  
Kagome caught the slight undertone as he mentioned Botan's name and a slight smile graced her features. "You like her."  
  
Shippo stopped as they were about to exit the kitchen and shook his head bit too quickly. "I do not!"  
  
Kagome breezed by him. "Sure, sure," she said as she joined everyone else in the living room.  
  
The three boys looked up with varying degrees of concern of their faces when Kagome came in the room and Kagome gave them a bright smile that seemed to make Kuwabara relax, and Kurama even allowed himself to lean backwards. Yusuke kept studying her. She sighed to herself, but brightened up when she felt Botan's energy appear. "Botan's back."  
  
The five of them went outside to see Botan floating in midair. Upon seeing them she motioned them towards the portal below her. "Come on everyone, Koenma wants to meet Kagome, and then he has a mission for you."  
  
Kagome started forward with the others, but hung back as they got closer to the portal. Shippo and Yusuke glanced back. Shippo sensed her unease and waited patiently. Yusuke was a bit different. "Hey, you coming?"  
  
"Yeah. I guess. I'm just..." She trailed off, but Shippo nodded his head in understanding. "Nervous."  
  
Yusuke looked between them suspiciously as Kagome smiled gratefully in response and nodded her head. "How do you two know each other so well, you've only been out for a little while from what Koenma says."  
  
Suddenly having found her courage Kagome practically ran through, Shippo quickly following. He looked up at Botan and Botan shrugged. She didn't know any better than he did what was going on.  
  
--  
  
"Nice to meet you Kagome! It's been a long time since we've had a powerful miko in our midst. It's unfortunate that we need one, but it's a precaution that my father set to make sure my detectives 'behave'." Koenma smiled pleasantly, in his teenage form to make a nice impression on the girl. Kagome tilted her head in confused surprise that turned into a smirk as she realized the connotations of that.  
  
"So, I'm a demon baby-sitter is what you're saying? And I thought this job would be something new." Shippo grinned when she looked pointedly at him and both their thoughts went to a silver-haired hanyou.  
  
"Just something about you M- Kagome. You always get stuck with this." Everyone else watched the slight banter between them before Koenma returned their attention to him with a clearing of his throat.  
  
"Yes well, before I tell you about the mission, I would like to know how powerful you are. We do need to know. Unfortunately, it's required for paperwork." Kagome smiled at the grimace, then frowned and looked at Shippo. How was she supposed to know how to classify her own power?  
  
Shippo was no help. He shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands helplessly. Kagome sighed, then shrugged and relaxed her shields and control on everything but the Shikon no Tama. She let her aura flare to its maximum power she could when she wasn't in battle.  
  
Kuwabara caught his breath and shuddered at the feeling of so much pure power, actually stepping away from it. Kurama did much the same, but he was wincing painfully.  
  
For Yusuke, it was like an itch up and down his skin and his blood boiled, urging him to destroy what could turn into a dangerous enemy. He squashed the desire and watched as Koenma gaped, his pacifier beginning to slide out of his mouth. Kagome looked embarrassed and quickly bundled up her power and hid it again.  
  
Shippo had been prepared and had backed up to the door of the office. It still had been uncomfortable, but not as much at the majin who had stood still during the whole thing or for his fellow kitsune who had quickly backed up when the power hit him. "So, how powerful would you say she is?"  
  
Koenma managed to stop gaping as the golden-tailed kitsune smirked at him. The miko looked uncomfortable. Koenma smiled nervously. "I believe that will be enough power to sate my father."  
  
"Now, the mission has to do with three orbs which were stolen from the vault."  
  
"You'd think after the first time something was stolen from there you'd get better locks," Yusuke muttered.  
  
Koenma shot him a glare. "Anyway, these three orbs hold special powers. They were made a long time ago; the only problem is their creator was killed before he could tell anyone how to activate them. Which, in this case, is a good thing. It means the demons don't know how to activate them either."  
  
"They are the orbs of Memory, Strength, and Emotion, and all we know is that each has something to do with their name. Controls memory for the Memory one perhaps, or strengthens the one holding it for the Strength one. I don't know. No one does. But, if these demons were desperate enough to steal them, they must have an idea of how to activate them." Koenma waited a moment and saw that everyone was still listening intently.  
  
"We'll portal you as close to the last place they were sensed as we can without them immediately sensing you. There should be four of them, butterfly demons if I don't miss my guess. They may be a bit odd looking, but they can be dangerous, especially if they figure out how to work those orbs." Koenma nodded to Botan and she turned about, opening a portal next to the doorway.  
  
"Dismissed! Have a nice mission Kagome!" Koenma smiled charmingly as they left, his three original detectives shooting him amused glances as Kagome smiled back. Yusuke frowned a bit at that but shrugged and followed the others through the portal.  
  
They came out into a forest very familiar to Yusuke and Kagome. Shippo recognized it too and immediately his eyes narrowed to slits as his teeth were bared slightly. "They're near the graves."  
  
"Graves?" Kurama asked curiously, exchanging a confused glance with Kuwabara. The question was never answered as Kagome and Shippo immediately took off, closely followed by Yusuke who jerked his head in an indication they should follow.  
  
All five gathered before the clearing, Shippo's tail swishing back and forth in anticipation as he took a good whiff of the air. "They're afraid. That means they haven't discovered how to work the orbs. They'd be much more confident if they had. Let's go!"  
  
With a happy grin the kitsune bounded forward. Kagome stayed back for an instant, shaking her head. "Apparently he spent too much time with Inuyasha. Running in blindly was his trademark."  
  
There was a fond inflection to Kagome's voice that had Yusuke gifting her with a questioning look. She didn't notice it and slipped forward, almost bumping into Shippo as he bounced back, the fur on his tail standing on end in righteous anger.  
  
"They're at the graves and trying to gather the energy there to protect themselves!" Outrage made the kitsune's eyes seem a bit red as he turned, Kagome following swiftly after.  
  
Kagome was wary of them immediately as she only saw and sensed three, but when another didn't appear even when they screeched as they saw her, she decided the information must have been wrong.  
  
The butterfly demons had a humanoid form to an extent. They had wings appearing out of their backs and bug like eyes in their heads. One butterfly made Kagome almost laugh. She hoped it was a girl. It was pink, purple, and red on its wings, with its body being white. The one in the middle had wings swirling with green, yellow, and orange, with a red body. The last looked the most foreboding, but she sensed the most fear off of it. It had a black body with silver, grey, and brown wings. Light was already trailing into its hands, apparently some sort of an attack.  
  
An arrow sprouted in its chest briefly before that combined with a kitsune's fiery claws made the demon into nothing more than a pile of ash. Shippo bounded forward to pick up a black orb now lying on the ground.  
  
At the quick removal of their companion the other two fumbled with weapons and orbs. Kuwabara and Kurama took the red-bodied one on. It proved to be a bit more formidable now that it was more prepared, but in short order it too was destroyed. Kurama picked up a white orb, pocketing it quickly as they went to face the last one.  
  
Yusuke had hung back to watch the two new ones. Despite the seeming weakness of the darkest demon, Yusuke knew that it hadn't been as weak as they had made it look. They had just made it seem easy.  
  
And now Kagome had an arrow notched and pointed at the last one. A faint glow surrounded her and the arrow before she released it. The last pastel colored butterfly futily held up its hands, one hand still clutching the orb it had in its hand.  
  
The arrow hit the orb, but instead of bouncing off or going through it, it stopped it midair. The glow that had surrounded the arrow reappeared and then was transferred from the arrow onto the strange orb. The orb glowed eerily. It had found its power source and now was changing the pink power into a silver glow.  
  
"The Orb of Memory," both kitsunes muttered at the same time. Kurama in awe, Shippo in aggravated annoyance.  
  
The arrow suddenly dropped to the ground, shattering like brittle glass. Kagome stared at it with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Her miko powers had worked too well. They'd been used for a different purpose than had been intended.  
  
Yusuke was as shocked as the rest of them, but when the demon seemed to get over it's shock and began chanting, he quickly decided that he didn't want to see what that orb did.  
  
"Spirit Gun!" The call was almost too late. Perhaps it was, because the last thing the demon said as it was incinerated was, "Orb of Memory! Hear my call! Use your powers on my enemies and take my revenge!"  
  
Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Long winded for a demon."  
  
Kagome snorted and looked like she was about to reply before a silver light abruptly shot up from the orb and split into five strands, twisting around the five and then shooting off into two or three others. All at once, the five Spirit Detectives dropped to the ground, their bodies glowing silver as the orb did as it was bid.  
  
Even as the five were forced into memories not their own, another demon dove in from the sky. Its wings were a rainbow of colors, and it was approximately ten times larger than the dead butterfly demons.  
  
Upon seeing the carnage caused because of the three orbs, the demon's blue head tilted towards the sky in a grief filled high pitched screech. Winds crackled around the clearing, threatening to pick up the detectives bodily and throw them away as the massive wings fluttered wildly.  
  
Two multifaceted great black eyes suddenly were fixed upon the five detectives, and the clearing was suddenly still. A hiss echoed in the clearing. "My precious babies. They simply wanted to defend themselves. But you killed them. I'll kill you!"  
  
The head turned slowly, surveying the languidly. As long as they were still in the throes of the orb, she had all the time she needed to take her revenge. A glimmer around the only female's neck caught her eyes. Fury filled her and the demon immediately started towards Kagome.  
  
"And I'll start with the cause of this. You Guardian. You caused all the turmoil that made us run. I'll make sure you feel everything my babies did and more before you die!"  
  
---------  
  
I don't even know if any of you are reading this anymore, but I thought I'd respond to you anyway.  
  
Thank you to: Reality, rogue solus, smile7499, Alexis of the Westlands, Eriee, Fire Kitsune Goddess, BloodRoseOTDemon, Setsuna Guardian of Sorrow, kitsunekagome23, Phyre Spryte15, BuffyBot76 for reviewing!  
  
SilverKnight7: There are plenty of Kag/Kur stories already, so sorry, I'm not doing a Kag/Kur.  
  
sugarfreak: Yes, she'll meet Hiei, and no, I don't have a Kag/Hiei. This won't be one either.  
  
Winged Knight: Oh, he'll explain what he is eventually. After the mission after this. And Shippo might freak just a little. Maybe more than a little.  
  
Kurai Mori: Thanks for reviewing! I love your stories! As for Shippo and Botan, you are correct, he does like her, and they will get together.  
  
Jesscheaux Kuwabara: There was supposed to be more Kuwabara not wanting Kagome to fight, but it some how got cut out when I deviated from the rough draft. Well, I'll try to have more of him next chapter! And, you are definitely correct about who gets paired with Botan! Isn't Shippo adorable? I got send a picture of what he might look like as an adult and he was just hot! I so had to have a pairing for him. There are plenty of things the need to be revealed. The Spirit Detectives need to find out about Kagome guarding the Shikon no Tama, Kagome needs to find out what the heck is going on, and of course, everyone needs to find out what the heck happened to our other immortal demon characters? We know Naraku's dead, Kouga tried to escape from Makai, and Shippo's all grown up. We still have plenty of mysteries that need to be solved! Thanks for reviewing and all the wonderful compliments! I love it when you review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.  
Author's Notes: Err... hehe.... It wasn't that long, right?

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Chapter 4

The Toushin was struggling against the orb's power futilely. It was slowly drawing him and the others in, going through his memories, sending them about. Those were his memories, damn it! He could feel the others caught by interesting memories, allowing themselves to sink into them and their own memories be shown around as they avidly watched someone else's memories. Eventually only he and Kagome were left fighting. He could feel her mind struggling.

A few memories were torn from her, and he found himself starting to let go as multiple flashes of a dog-eared boy went through his brain, tantalizing his curiosity. As another one appeared he let go, practically jumping into it.

_--- A boy who looked to be the rough age of fifteen or sixteen sat up in a tree. The boy was staring up at the full moon, the silver color of the long strands of his hair matching the moonlight perfectly. Golden eyes were watching him. No, that wasn't right. They were watching something beside him. ---_

Yusuke frowned as he watched the memory through the eyes of another. Now he could see Kagome's sleeping face, so it wasn't her memory. It had to be the kitsune's, but it felt like the person he inhabited was so... small.

_--- "Inuyasha?" A sleepy Kagome asked softly. The dog-boy started, surprised she was awake, and then shook his head._

"Nothing Kagome. I just couldn't sleep." Kagome smiled sleepily and Inuyasha smiled in return, his ears tilting forward. It was a rare smile, true and full of affection. The kitsune had rarely ever seen such a smile. Kagome was soon sleeping again and before Shippo drifted off to sleep he saw the dog-eared boy guarding the camp while watching Kagome sleep. ---

Yusuke felt the memory slipping away and searched carefully among the streams of memories for another with the dog-eared demon. It was obviously a demon; no one else had coloring like that, or ears like that. He frowned as one memory drifted by. It was dark and foreboding and even he felt a small shiver. The majin could already tell this was Kagome's by the pink miko glow surrounding it.

Even as he reached for it inwardly, his senses still on the outside were screeching, trying to alert him to the danger. The fourth butterfly was screeching again as it screamed at the unconscious Kagome. "My children! How dare you!"

--- _"My puppets! You have proven to be much more difficult opponents than I thought possible. But the only one who can hurt me is in my grasp! It is time for all of you to die!" A man in a baboon suit stood over her as she opened her blue-gray eyes. Laughter seemed to be coming from his mouth. She could hear Inuyasha's desperate cries, but they seemed faded and faraway._

Her senses were struggling to take in the sounds around her and the sight above her but upon seeing her captors red eyes her mind snapped into focus and one slim glowing hand wrapped around his left wrist. She slowly processed what he had said to the others and her anger grew.

"You have hurt my friends. Two of them are lying dead or dying and you stand here taunting and laughing at us. You have caused too much pain and destruction. It is your time to die Naraku!" ---

Yusuke wrenched himself from the orbs grasp as the memory ended, head jerking up to stare at the butterfly demon staring at a confused and only half awake Kagome. She was still caught in a memory. The butterfly reared back, flapping its multicolored wings.

"We needed them for protection! You killed them! The Shikon no Tama is back you fools! I will kill you all for your interference! Starting with the miko who started it all!" Despite the strange things the demon was saying, Yusuke understood the word "kill" and immediately he brought himself up to a standing position, wavering only slightly as it began to launch itself at a helpless Kagome. He gathered his energy and did what he usually did in this situation.

"Spirit Gun!" The burst of energy served its purpose as well as bringing the others wake suddenly. They woke up just in time to see the butterfly's wings fade into gray and it drop dead beside Kagome.

"Unglak?" Shippo asked in astonishment. He cleared his throat, about to try for a more coherent sentence when Kagome spoke up.

"That was his spirit gun. It's one of the weapons he uses with his spirit energy." She smiled a bit, trying not to smirk when Yusuke looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"How many memories did you get?" He asked demandingly.

"Only three," She answered sweetly, grinning at his grimace.

Yusuke looked towards Shippo and decided it was sharing time. "I got one of yours... I think... and one of hers. You?"

"I received one of Kurama's and one of Kuwabara's. When he was fighting for Yukina." A touch of a smirk lit Shippo's face as he looked at the human from the corner of one forest green eye.

"I saw one of the kitsune's and a memory from when Yusuke was fighting a demon wolf pack before he could come back from Makai," Kuwabara said.

"I received one from Kagome and the same memory from Yusuke as Kuwabara did." After Kurama stopped speaking all four looked to Kagome who shrugged nonchalantly.

"Two of yours, Yusuke, and one of Kurama's. It seemed to be showing things we had little to no knowledge of." She was a bit anxious to know what they had learned from her memories. Hopefully not what she was dreading.

Yusuke had turned his attention to the now dead demon, remembering something it had said. "What's the Shikon no Tama?"

Kagome felt a flood of relief. They didn't know. She was safe, it was the safe, and the one thing she had been granted from Inuyasha was still safe with her. She may have had some of their secrets, but it was nothing compared to what hers was.

She had seen both of Yusuke's deaths. The first one, where he became a Spirit Detective, and the second one, which she put to the back of her mind as a question to ask about later. She needed to know how and why exactly he had turned into a demon. It was a bit strange to see that when the Shikon Jewel wasn't involved.

She had still partly been in the memory of Kurama turning into his fox demon form when the demon began to say things. She heard some of them, but could not respond, or seem to move at all. She had been helpless. Just like she always had been before. She had cursed herself for not being able to use her powers on it even as Yusuke killed it. She wasn't weak, and she never wanted to be weak again.

What the demon had said had shaken her. It knew who she was. So even as she felt a flood of relief, she also flinched, remembering the horrible words, the blame, and the memories they brought with them. Fortunately, Shippo winced at the same time and Kurama answered the question, apparently thinking they were both responding to the very name. They were, but they had personal memories with the Shikon no Tama.

"I'm not surprised they have heard of it. It was guarded by a miko, and I imagine it would be passed down as a legend among some shrines. Any demon over a hundred years would know the legend some way or another. It was a jewel, to be vague, a very powerful object made from the crystallized soul of the legendary miko Midoriko as she fought a legion of demons out to kill her. It can be used for great evil or theoretically, for great good." Kurama didn't notice the flash in Kagome's eyes, the disbelief and anger as he said that last statement. That jewel could never be used for good.

Shippo hid his anger by gingerly going and picking up the three dropped orbs, glaring at the one of Memory as he wanted to glare at Kurama for uttering such a statement. "It's never been used for such though, has it?"

"No, it hasn't." All of them glanced up to see an unusually subdued Botan floating. When she held out her hands, Shippo handed over the three orbs gingerly, but with no hesitation. His eyes didn't flicker as they met hers, but the slight surprise in her eyes made him turn away. He was not how she thought he was.

Botan vaguely heard Yusuke asked what Reikai knew about the Shikon no Tama, but she was frowning at Shippo. He seemed angry... about a lot of things, including but not specifically that she had been _surprised _he'd given away the powerful objectives so easily. She sighed to herself. Obviously she had to do some rethinking on him. The few times she'd met him when he had gone between the barriers he had always seemed so carefree and foolish, on a power trip perhaps. They'd always assumed that he had sought out mikos for power.

Now he seemed overly serious about this new topic and as Yusuke snapped out the question again, she turned from regarding the kitsune, reminding herself to talk this over with Koenma later. Some things about the new kitsune in the group needed to be reevaluated.

"Not much more than what was said. We have some records on Midoriko, Kikyou, and the unknown reincarnation, but most records on the last one were lost, as were our ability to follow that soul. We were... sabotaged in a way. We actually still don't know how, but if the Shikon no Tama is back... I'd kill the new Guardian myself to keep the world safe from it. That's how it originally disappeared; it was burnt with Kikyou, the first Guardian's body, and is now deeply connected with that soul. It's just..."

Botan trailed off, unable to explain how Reikai could have failed in such a simple task as keeping tabs on one soul. Five hundred years ago, there had been a few records on the oddity of the reincarnation, and some confusing reports that it wasn't possible yet... and then nothing. The reports and records had disappeared. And no traces of the soul were left anywhere.

"Is there anyway to find it? Many lesser demons will either be scared out of their wits like these, or scrabbling like mad to find it. We don't even know about the Guardian. For all we know, it could be a child," Kurama said quietly. Kagome kept a suitably serious and worried face on and inwardly used every bit of restraint she had to keep her mouth shut, some of Botan's words creeping down her spine to settle a block of ice in her stomach, cold and making her shiver, pushing everything she could inward to stop. She wouldn't simply retract into herself just because a few butterflies sensed her.

Shippo didn't even have to struggle. He had five hundred years of perfecting a gaze every bit as cold and calculating as Sesshoumaru's. He was using it now and could see Botan shifting uneasily. Good. For both judging him and for saying such a thing in front of the Guardian. Kill their own miko would they? If only they knew. But it simply wasn't his story to tell.

"I'll report to Koenma, with these. We'll work on it. Keep on your toes, if it really is back... this may just not be a small disturbance. All of Makai will be in upheaval, perhaps even a worse one than if a war _had_ happened." Everyone except the out-of-the-loop kitsune and miko who had never been in Makai understood the reference.

"I hope I do get to know you before the next mission, Kagome, but it doesn't seem likely. This is an emergency of the worst kind." Then she disappeared, leaving the five standing alone to contemplate her words. Kagome felt guilty, and a bit cornered. Not from the detectives. The whole situation was suffocating her. A few more straws and she would be the proverbial camel breaking.

"So... You have a nice house," Yusuke tried to be casual. She blinked and shook her head; staring at him a moment as if processing what he said and then gave a very unladylike snort.

"No parties." Kagome stated shortly, and did begin to walk off, Shippo letting his bad humor go - for now - and following her, watching in amusement as the other three took places around him and her. "We don't want a _party_."

"Just a small celebration."

"Wouldn't mind a drink," Yusuke muttered the last and Kuwabara and Kurama turned to glare at him. Kagome smiled slightly and shook her head. "In other words, you want to start sharing stories. Mainly, mine to you. Or you do, fox boy. Don't try being clever. You couldn't care less about a celebration."

"You have me pegged so quickly and clearly?" The questioning tone had a dark edge, telling her that was a bad idea. Kagome curled her upper lip up and glanced at him sideways. "No. But you do. None of you trust me yet, and you want to make sure I'm not a danger. Your eyes give you away. You're analyzing a possible threat, not looking at Kagome Higurashi, an actual person. I've seen that look enough to know what it is... and hate it."

Most of the hating came from the dismissing. He wasn't doing that. He took her seriously. Great. The few people who she was starting to reach out and almost eagerly grab on to couldn't - possibly wouldn't - trust her. Kuwabara seemed simply to be uneasy with her fighting.

Yusuke was harder to read sometimes. He knew she was every bit a possible danger as his friend did, but she hadn't caught him trying to read her, find out her secrets, dig them up, not yet. She had a feeling he wouldn't yet. Not until he caught the first whiff of danger herself Kurama on the other hand... He believed in preemptive strikes it seemed.

Time to pull out every bit of lying experience and observations of Miroku she could. "My past is my own. It's also a very dead past, in the most literal sense. About the only thing left of it is Shippo here."

The best way to tell lies was to mix in the truth. She knew that, but she hoped the kitsune wouldn't pick up on the fact that she knew that. She knew he could probably hear her heartbeat, but keeping her heart calm and smooth under pressure was something anyone could learn. He appeared to at least believe what she'd said, and it was all she was going to give any of them for as long as she could go without having to give more.

If worst came to worse, there must be some place to run. She simply couldn't let them have the jewel. It would never be safe, even locked up. Especially locked up. Away from her and her barrier, it would call out seductively to every passing soul, radiating power that was easily corrupted.

She glanced around and smiled slightly at them as she saw them trooping in her footsteps, obviously meaning to follow her home even though she had already given them what Kurama wanted. She faced the path again; they were close to her home now.

Kagome reviewed what she'd done in the battle and frowned. Something seemed wrong. When she'd been shooting her arrows, there had been something wrong. Not with the battle, with her powers. Like a part of her was keeping itself from her consciously accessing it. She frowned and settled into the thought, only to be jarred from it as a slim, clawed hand landed on her shoulder. A quick jerk of her head told her they were back at her home. "Just one big circle."

"Portals cut down on travel time," Yusuke said in a half grumble, staring at the tree. All three of them were. "That plant's freaky."

"Leave it alone. It won't hurt you. It doesn't know how to harm you." Just like even now it didn't know how to harm her. Almost everyone on the property it didn't know how to harm, only to help. But there were some it would never extend its calming influence over.

"I can't manipulate it. Or hear it." Kurama was annoyed. No plant should be able to resist him. All of their spirits were supposed to answer him and do what he wanted. He was a silver kitsune. It was the bond between him and nature.

"It doesn't like you. Your aura still has too much taint on it, despite that it is clearing up." Kagome didn't know what half of the stuff she thought or said while near the God Tree meant later. But the tree was there, endless and eternal in her eyes. It was always standing, a small scar that had never healed in its bark, branches she remembered sleeping in a couple of times still as welcoming as ever. Its roots were perfect to nestle between and just sit and think. She hadn't been one for deep thinking lately.

"So, oden or ramen?" Yusuke noted the flinch Kagome made when Shippo said ramen before she quickly recovered and flashed a nostalgic smile at the golden kitsune. "Ramen. Unfortunately, they don't seem like oden people."

"I like oden," Yusuke mumbled under his breath, half in complaint at her assumption. What made someone an oden person anyway? Shippo heard it and grinned.

"I think you should change your opinion. Besides, your mother's home now and I can smell the oden now. I couldn't before, but I think she knew you'd need some when you got home." Shippo glanced at Kagome as he spoke. She glanced back. They shrugged and looked towards the detectives.

"So? Coming?" There were three affirmatives and Kagome led them to her house, opening the door to let them in. All three went in, followed by Shippo. Kagome hesitated at the edge of the door, looking back to the God Tree and then to the edge of the shrine. Her skin crawled and she bit her lip, one hand climbing up to grip the jewel as she stared. There was something... it was a faint feeling, but something dark licked at the edge of her senses. A warning.

She gave a bitter smile. Now she was given warnings. She'd never been given warnings to save her friends. But that was unfair. She knew it was. But whatever was out there, she could handle it, her and Shippo. A threat to the Shikon no Tama could be taken care of when she wasn't on one of these new missions. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to do them both.

How hard could being a Spirit Detective be?

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Reviewer responses:

Thank you to silverkitsunekagome, Night-Owl123, watergoddesskasey, inuficcrzy, inu.-sess.fan, anime-lavuh, Fire Kitsune Goddess, uspoken, Sora the Taske, Cheeza-13, C4n4di4nG1r1535, Emerald-Eyed-Faye, Lady Akina, Kanna Fan, Sukera, and Dark Inu Fan for reviewing. Do so again!

Foxylilraven: Actually your idea for Rin and Kohaku is something close to already planned, but there's no reason the youkai had to be in one of them, there are generations before Yusuke would have born. You'll see though.

Winged Knight: Close but obviously, no cigar. They got to experience each other's memories... had it gone on longer, they would have seen everyone elses secrets. But, alas, then the plot would be much shorter.

gurlhushere13: Yup, but Botan and Shippo have a few things to sort out. And no, hiei isn't in it... yet. He will be eventually. When he has a personal interest in it.

MysteryLady-Tx: Thank you for you nice review! I have a feeling you'll be one of my favorite reviewers. Though, actually, I don't know what S.O.L means. I'm sure once I figure it out I'll be kicking myself. I think this chapter answered all questions about the orbs.

Iraine: Nope, I haven't given up on it, this chapter just gave me some problems! Thanks for the support and the review. Hopefully it won't take me nearly as long to get up the next chapter.


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